The Board of Regents Faculty Awards publicly recognize distinguished performance by educators and researchers within the University System of Maryland. Award categories include collaboration, mentoring, public service, teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. Recipients are given $1,000 and a plaque of recognition for the honor during a ceremony.
2023
Eric Schott
Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
A marine ecologist whose research focuses on understanding aquatic health, Dr. Eric Schott was recognized for his commitment to mentoring and inspiring students, including strong contributions to high school, undergraduate, and graduate mentoring and a passion for increasing the diversity of students following careers in the marine sciences. High school students from the City of Baltimore have been a fixture in Schott’s lab, ranging from a five-week summer program to a more immersive experience for the entire school year. He has been active in undergraduate mentoring through the IMET Summer Internship Program, which connects students with scientists to conduct their own research, for over 15 years, and he leads the IMET component of the nationally recognized Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center that provides support for graduate students from underrepresented groups in marine and environmental science to prepare them for careers in research, management, and policy. He was selected by UMCES’ graduate student body to receive the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award for his dedication to both science and his students.
2018
Jeff Cornwell
Horn Point Laboratory
An expert in sediments, water quality, and wetlands, Dr. Jeff Cornwell was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the understanding of nutrient cycling in the Chesapeake Bay, including his leadership in advising the Maryland Port Authority on the impacts of dredging, the role of oysters in removing nutrients from the water column, and the impact of sedimentation at Conowingo Dam. In the last decade, his lab has worked on problems related to the placement of dredged materials, assessing the nutrient effects of dredging and the use of dredged materials in restoration of Poplar Island in the Chesapeake Bay. He has helped move forward efforts to restore the Bay’s oyster population through insights on the role of oysters in removing nutrients from the water column and how aquaculture impacts the chemistry of sediments and the impact of nutrient and phosphorus pollution on excess algae growth. Most recently he has assumed a lead role in assisting the State in understanding the effects of the Conowingo Dam on the balance of nutrients in the upper Chesapeake Bay.
2017
Mario Tamburri
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Dr. Mario Tamburri, an expert in coastal observing systems, was recognized for his dedication to public service in helping society address environmental challenges by applying innovative and well-tested environmental sensor technologies to monitor water quality and in steadfastly working to reduce the risk of invasive species through maritime transportation. He was recognized for his dedication to public service in helping society address environmental challenges by applying innovative and well-tested environmental sensor technologies to monitor water quality and in steadfastly working to reduce the risk of invasive species through maritime transportation.
2016
Russell Hill
Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
Dr. Russell Hill, a leading researcher in marine and applied microbiology, studies the diversity and functions of microbes associated with marine invertebrates, such as sponges. A professor at UMCES since 2010, Dr. Hill has served since 2012 as director of the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), a joint University System of Maryland facility in Baltimore that brings together scientists from UMCES, UMBC, and the University of Maryland Baltimore to engage in cutting-edge research in microbiology, molecular biology, and biotechnology. He has been honored for his extraordinary efforts not only in mentoring his own graduate students, but also for his contributions to mentoring minority students in partnership with the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center and for his innovative creation of the Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program.
2015
Tom Miller
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Dr. Tom Miller joined the faculty at the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, an historic and influential center for fisheries management research, as Assistant Professor in 1994. He has been Professor since 2006, teaching courses on population dynamics, fisheries ecology, and quantitative methods, and Director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory since 2011. He has been a leader in the development of approaches to manage several Chesapeake Bay species, including crabs and striped bass, combining laboratory, field and modeling approaches to address questions of interest to society. He and his students have won several best paper awards at regional and national meetings. He chaired the USM-wide committee to reenergize and refresh the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES) program curriculum.
2014
Keith Eshleman
Appalachian Laboratory
A professor at the Appalachian Laboratory and an expert in the field of watershed hydrology, Dr. Keith Eshleman was recognized for his leadership in preparing a landmark report on best management practices for unconventional natural gas extraction, also known as fracking, as part of the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative established by Governor Martin O'Malley. The report, completed in 2013, is considered the “gold standard” for best management practices for unconventional gas development. Dr. Eshleman is well regarded for his efforts to provide services to his state and federal government in the form of scientifically rigorous policy recommendations. His research on fracking best practices came on the heels of a multi-year project to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of uranium mining in Virginia, commissioned by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s legislature to inform a decision on whether or not to lift a moratorium on uranium mining.
2013
Andrew Elmore
Appalachian Laboratory
At the cutting edge of the linkage of remote sensing, ecology and earth science, Dr. Andrew Elmore is well known for his research on water resources and climate variability and his innovated work with remote sensing technologies. His research addresses contemporary environmental challenges for society, including urban sprawl, riparian conservation, and climate change. Recent publications on how the urban heat island effect influences plant growing season and on finding missing and hidden streams have attracted regional and national attention.
2012
Michael Kemp
Horn Point Laboratory
A world leader in conducting research on the ecology of estuaries, Dr. Michael Kemp made significant contributions to the understanding of nutrient cycling in estuaries, the ecology and physiology of submerged aquatic vegetation, and the metabolism of estuarine ecosystems, as well as the causes of hypoxic waters and declines in aquatic plants in estuaries. He had a distinguished record of teaching and mentoring students so that this broad knowledge has been passed on to many graduate students. Working out of the Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Maryland, Dr. Kemp's research on nitrogen cycling in the 1980s and 1990s contributed to the global understanding of the importance of sediments in nutrient cycling. His research made substantial contributions to understanding the global increase in coastal hypoxia and how nutrient reductions can lead to improvements in water quality.
2011
Margaret Palmer
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Dr. Margaret Palmer’s scientific work detailing the environmental impacts of surface mining has helped call attention to the controversial practice. In mountaintop mining, upper elevation forests are cleared and stripped of topsoil, and explosives are used to break up rocks in order to access coal buried below. Much of this rock is pushed into adjacent valleys where it buries and obliterates streams. Her research was published in the well-respected journal Science. Dr. Palmer has sought to understand what controls stream ecosystem structure and function. She specifically focuses on restoration ecology and how land use, hydrology and geomorphology influence the health of running-water ecosystems. Throughout her career, Dr. Palmer has sought to understand what controls stream ecosystem structure and function. She specifically focuses on restoration ecology and how land use, hydrology and geomorphology influence the health of running-water ecosystems.
2010
Dave Secor
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
As a fisheries biologist, a large proportion of Dr. Dave Secor's research has focused on species that often have management conflicts: striped bass, bluefin tuna, white perch and sturgeon. As a consequence, his work has played a significant role in how these species are managed in Maryland and across the globe. Dr. Secor also serves as scientific advisor to state and global natural resource agencies. He has contributed to the comprehensive climate change impact assessment Global Warming and the Free State for the Maryland Climate Change Commission, and also to the Chesapeake Bay Program's Climate Change and the Chesapeake Bay.
2009
Allen Place
Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
Dr. Allen Place's approach to biological research has always crossed traditional boundaries with a strong conviction in the "comparative approach", be it at the molecular, cellular, or organismal level. In essence, his laboratory war cry is “Research Without Boundaries.” He believes our knowledge of biological processes is too strongly biased by our willingness to accept the rat, mouse, or cell line as "model systems.” The central question which drives his research is: "What are the fundamental structures and functions of living systems that can be adaptively modified to allow an organism to exploit the diversity of habitats we observe in nature?"
2008
Rodger Harvey
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
As a marine organic chemist, Dr. Rodger Harvey’s research focused on identifying the sources and fate of organic carbon in the marine environment. Dr. Harvey used individual chemical structures to identify the source of the carbon - be it from marine life living in the upper ocean, terrestrial runoff carried by rivers, or other sources - and how it is transported and preserved. His Arctic-based research improved our understanding of the carbon cycle and its links to global climate change. Dr. Harvey was also a large contributor to the function and direction of UMCES and to the University System of Maryland. He chaired the UMCES Faculty Senate, been an engaged member of the USM Council of University System Faculty, and was a leader in the administration and execution of the multi-campus Graduate Program in Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Science.
2005
Pat Glibert
Horn Point Laboratory
Dr. Pat Glibert, a phytoplankton ecologist, has conducted research at UMCES’s Horn Point Laboratory since 1986. Her work ranges from the global, addressing such questions as how are nutrient loads changing with changing land use/fertilizer use practices, to the physiological, investigating such questions as how do different species of phytoplankton respond to different forms and loads of nutrients and why. Glibert has organized and led numerous research teams and coauthored more than 140 academic publications with more than 100 collaborators. She is internationally renowned in the field of marine ecological research, particularly regarding the harmful effects of algal blooms and the effects of nutrient pollution on coastal marine ecosystems, such as the Chesapeake Bay.
2004
Diane Stoecker
Horn Point Laboratory
Dr. Diane Stoecker, physiological ecologist, studied the effects of harmful algal and cyanobacterial blooms on food webs and environmental biogeochemistry. She has pioneered research on alternate modes of nutrition in the plankton and their role in food webs. Dr. Stoecker’s research on protozoa has been conducted in oceans across the globe and has resulted in new discoveries of the importance of protozoa in marine food webs. Dr. Stoecker’s scientific contributions were recognized by appointment as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Luigi Provasoli Award by the Journal of Phycology.
2003
Rose Jagus
UMBI
Dr. Rose Jagus has used her eminence in the science field where she studies translational control of gene expression to inspire and rigorously train young scientists from under-served communities to pursue careers in science and worked towards improving the lack of diversity in marine sciences. Since 2001, Professor Jagus has served as IMET Project Director of the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC), a training partnership with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and other minority serving institutions to increase the pool of young people from underrepresented communities in the marine sciences. It is funded by NOAA's Educational Partnership Program and at IMET provides support for graduate students from underrepresented communities in marine and environmental science for careers in research, management, and public policy that support the sustainable harvest and conservation of our marine resources.
2002
Tom Malone
Horn Point Laboratory
As a biological oceanographer, Dr. Tom Malone has focused his recent research on building the requirements for the coastal component of the Global Ocean Observing System, a global system of sustained observations in the world’s oceans to assess the health of the ocean and document the impacts of nutrient pollutions on coastal marine ecosystems, including the Chesapeake Bay. Malone served as interim president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and subsequently, the director of UMCES’ Horn Point Laboratory from 1990 to 2001, and the Ocean U.S. Office for Sustainable and Integrated Ocean Observations.
2001
Edward Houde
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Dr. Edward Houde was an early leader in research focusing on forage fish—like bay anchovy and menhaden—that set the stage for recent developments in ecosystem-based management, an area in which he has also been influential. His pioneering work on the early life stages of fishes has resulted in fundamental advances in the understanding of larval physiology, swimming performance, feeding ecology, growth, mortality, and development, laying the groundwork for his current interest in fisheries management, or how to ensure the survival of those fish into adulthood.